26
January
2026
New Zealand hopes for more Swiss collaboration
By Jenny Sinclair
Switzerland’s Horizon Europe association could boost joint research, ministry says
New Zealand’s government hopes to establish more research collaborations with Switzerland through the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.
On 21 January, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said Switzerland’s November 2025 association to the scheme could create “expanded collaboration pathways for New Zealand researchers to partner with Swiss teams”.
In February, the ministry and Universities New Zealand, together with the Swiss National Science Foundation and the bilateral programme Leading House Asia Pacific, will brief researchers on potential opportunities and hear initial pitches.
Hugo Bussell, the ministry’s manager for international science partnerships, told Research Professional News that the ministry is “looking to the sector to signal the areas in which they want to focus on collaboration with Switzerland”.
“Our focus isn’t solely on Switzerland, but Switzerland is an important partner to New Zealand as it is also associated to Horizon Europe and is a member of [the] Small Advanced Economies [Initiative],” he said.
New Zealand has also recently “gained access to restricted calls for the 2026-27 Horizon Europe work programme. This will enable New Zealand researchers to participate in calls focused in the areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, advanced communication and network technologies, and space,” Bussell said. The restricted calls require annual reapplication to participate.
Top-up funding
The ministry supports five out of six “clusters” in Horizon’s second pillar, through advice and limited top-up funding for research overheads.
Since New Zealand associated to the programme in 2023, the country’s researchers have made 24 successful applications, with the ministry providing NZ$6.98 million to date for overheads.
Top-up funding has included more than NZ$382,000 to help GNS Science (now Earth Sciences NZ) participate in an international hydrogen storage project, and NZ$408,000 to support the University of Auckland’s participation in a project researching how the performing arts can foster “intercultural and transcultural competence”.
Other projects New Zealand has joined are researching biosecurity, urban food systems and how “public good” is measured.
In February 2025, the New Zealand government withdrew funding support for cluster two of Horizon’s second pillar, covering culture, creativity and inclusiveness. At least two of the 2025 funded projects were in this category but received top-up funding anyway because their applications had already been underway.
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